Enneanectes boehlkei Rosenblatt, 1960
Roughhead triplefin
Enneanectes boehlkei
photo by Victor, B.

Family:  Tripterygiidae (Triplefin blennies), subfamily: Tripterygiinae
Max. size:  4 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Florida, Bahamas, N. & W. Caribbean, & Antilles south to St. Kitts.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 15-15; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 16-17. This species is distinguished by the following characters: naked belly, pectoral-fin base, and cheek; adults with spiny preorbital bone; blunt snout; 3 rows of scales above rear pored scales, first 2 rows about equal-sized; first dorsal fin relatively short; fifth body bar prominently darker than first 4 and typically wider than 4-5 interspace; first four body bars are usually indistinct, often barely distinguishable; 4-5 interspace without central dark patch or dark accessory bar; 2 broad and solid dark or dusky red bands on caudal fin (in breeding males all dark); pale band flanked with dark or red stripes from eye across upper jaw; second dorsal fin with 3 rounded dark spots on membranes near the spine bases and thin band of fine speckling on outer rim of fin; anal fin with 4 or 5 dark patches; mode of D III+XII+8 and A II, 16; mode of 15 pored lateral-line scales and 21 scales in notched midline row (Ref. 93957).
Biology:  Adults inhabit patch reefs and rocky bottoms (Ref. 5521). Eggs are hemispherical and covered with numerous sticky threads that anchor them in the algae on the nesting sites (Ref. 240). Larvae are planktonic which occur primarily in shallow, nearshore waters (Ref. 94114).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 03 May 2010 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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